In this Special we present our new nowcasting methodology for the Indian economy. Our combined model predicts an economic growth for calendar 2018Q4 of 6.3%, which would imply a significant slowdown of economic activity after the already disappointing GDP print of 7.1% in Q3.

The recent flattening of US treasury yield curve has activated our early warning system. Our model now gives a 69% chance of a recession by May 2020 and is increasingly pointing at 2020 as the year of the next recession.

This Special re-assesses the economic impact of the US-China trade war, using more advanced methodologies. Our analysis shows that China disproportionately bears the brunt of a US-China trade war, especially in case of a further escalation.

During the crisis, unemployment in Spain increased rapidly. In the past years, employment has substantially recovered due to strong economic growth and labour market reforms. That said, the unemployment rate is still high and significant challenges remain.

Italy’s short-term economic outlook is firm. Yet the country’s long-term growth outlook is weak. The next government is unlikely to tackle large challenges. On the upside, the risk of an unexperienced populist government after the 2018 elections is limited.

The economic costs of a Brexit in 2030 are expected to range between GBP 400bn (hard Brexit) and GBP 260bn (soft Brexit), compared to a scenario where the UK would continue to be a member of the EU (Bremain). This equals £11,500 - £7,500 per British worker.

Angela Merkel is set to win a fourth term as chancellor, thanks to the strong German economy. Her choice of coalition partner will have ramifications beyond Germany. We see a renewed Grand Coalition as the most likely. They may make progress on Eurozone integration.

Eurozone (core) inflation is likely to stay low for longer. This is driven by lower wage growth for an extended period of time and give cyclical and structural explanations. This means the ECB is unlikely to raise interest rates before 2019.

Progress on President Trump’s legislative agenda has been slow and an increasing amount of time and energy in the White House and on Capitol Hill is spent on ‘Trumpgate’. We consider three different political routes that could be taken in the US.

While executive orders allow the President to act unilaterally, the US political system has several checks and balances in place that give the Congress and the courts the power to derail or overturn his decisions. Trade conflicts are the main downside risk of Trump’s executive orders.